9/1/11

Veggie main dishes: Curries

Curries are one of our favorite family meals. The kids both love rice, even brown rice, and Mr. Mordecai and I love the strong flavors. Have you ever noticed how often dishes that come from Asian restaurants tend to be meat-heavy? I love that when I make Asian food at home, I can control what goes in it.

Curries are flexible because the sauce ties everything together, so you can really play around with the other ingredients. Last time I made the Thai curry recipe below, I added two huge zucchini from the garden. I usually use less meat, too. Another curry recipe I love is here, and here's a curry recipe that uses green tomatoes.

I like to serve curries with plenty of brown rice and a side of veggies and/or fruit.

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Thai red chicken curry

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 pound chicken, cut into thin strips

1 small zucchini, sliced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon red curry paste

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoons fish sauce

¼ teaspoon coriander

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon ginger

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 14-ounce can coconut milk

¼ cup chopped cilantro

Put all spices in bowl. Combine cornstarch and coconut milk. Heat the oil in a wok. Add the chicken; cook for 3 minutes. Add the vegetables and spice mixture; cook for 3 more minutes. Add the coconut milk; simmer until thickens. Stir in the cilantro. Serve over rice. Serves 4.